The dear Lord Jesus loves the church and has given himself for it, and he obviously wants the church to be healthy and vibrant. The devil hates the church and since its inception has been hurling all the weapons in his diabolical arsenal in an effort to cripple its witness and its effectiveness. Let me mention five of the things that weaken the church and minimize its effectiveness.

1. Scandalous Leadership

When immorality bred by lust or greed is found among the leadership of the church the results are devastating. That is precisely why pastors, church staff and lay leaders such as deacons must have lives marked by physical chastity, moral purity and spiritual integrity.

I have pastored a church that was marked by a staff member who was guilty of immorality of the worst sort and the results of his sin had a devastating impact, not only upon him, but also upon his family, friends, the church and even the community. In fact, the church may still bear the stigma of that heinous sin. Someone ...